TEDx At SOA: Celebrities Ask Young People Not To Follow Personalities

Bhubaneswar: “Following life style trends and personalities may be a passion with the youth today but it will take them nowhere,” celebrity host, motivational speaker and fashion expert Neeraj Gaba told students of SOA (Deemed to be University) on Sunday.

“You need to carve a path for yourself and look for something unique. When you yearn for uniqueness, why are you following someone and be a copycat,” Gaba said as one of the speakers at TEDxSOA, an independently organised TED event at SOA.

The theme of the TEDx event, the second to be held at SOA, was “The Art To Hustle”, the main idea being to create a new perspective of inducing art in the struggle to glory. Pointing out that young people should not follow a path, which was set for somebody else, Gaba said, “unfollow anything which is not for you.”
 Actor, dancer and model, Priyank Sharma, influential thought leader Arthur Carmazzi, globe trotter Baisakhi Saha, author Raisha Lalwani,  community leader of Bengaluru start-up ecosystem, Subhendu Panigrahi, entrepreneur Ashish Garg and author Alok Soni were present as speakers.

Gaba’s views were echoed by Priyank Sharma, who worked with choreographer Shiamak Davar and became a heartthrob in the TV shows ‘Roadies Rising’ and ‘Big Boss 11’. Sharma also asked the students to follow their instincts.

“I have a degree in software engineering but I was drawn towards dancing. You also have a platform, chose your journey,” he said.

Baisakhi Saha held the students spellbound with her travel stories since her days as a teenaged student in Kolkata. “Travelling is not about money, what you need is tenacity and audacity,” she said adding,

“I have changed countries, continents and cities like clothes, befriended strangers, swam in craters of volcanoes and lived in villages in the Amazonian jungles to enrich myself.”

She has written two books including ‘Life is Abracadabra’ in which she has recounted 21 magical stories from her travels across the world. SOA’s Dean (Students’ Welfare) Dr Jyoti Ranjan Das and Chief Coordinator, NSS Bureau Dr Nachiketa Sharma were present.